Puzzle Place

Just 11 years old, this kitchen had a different problem than age. “The kitchen before the remodel was what we called a builder special,” says Patton. Although the client initially wanted to simply install new cabinets and an island because of the kitchen’s age, “her wish list went beyond the consideration of a partial remodel,” explained Patton. “She just wanted it to coordinate with her existing family room. That’s where we picked up.”

The previous kitchen had a raised eating bar that backed up to a dining nook. “If you placed chairs at the dining nook, there was no room for the dining table,” said Patton. “So the eating bar went unused.”

To accommodate the client’s affinity for cooking and entertaining, a dining table surface was attached to the island for one L-shaped piece, which can seat up to eight people. “The combination of the island workspace and built-in table eliminated a walkway between the two to give us more usable space in the kitchen,” said Patton.

Before, the kitchen disregarded its available space by placing the sink a full seven feet from the prep area. “The homeowner is of small stature, so the walk between the cooking surface and the sink was way too far,” commented Patton.

Since the island had to fit the parameters of the previous because of tiling, the plumbing was reconfigured so the sink now lies directly across from the hood. A pony wall also supports the table and houses some of the plumbing.

Two open-shelf cabinets over the wine refrigerator display wine glasses to lighten up the corner wall and still provide storage.

To blend with the living area’s traditional oak balusters, gold drapes and taupe walls, warm woods in a grazed alder frame the perimeter, complemented by barn wood melamine cabinets.

“The corner refrigerator was tricky,” commented Patton. “This was actually a full-depth, freestanding refrigerator that we turned at a 45-degree angle.” This angle created a larger void to accommodate the appliance. The same detail is used at the opposite end with a wine refrigerator.

November 11, 2013

Time and age are not the only initiators of a renovation. Designer Nicolette Patton and Nar Bustamente of Nar Fine Carpentry encountered one such kitchen with a design less than 11 years old. “The kitchen before the remodel was what we call a builder special,” Patton recalled. “[Just] refacing the cabinets would not benefit the clients. They needed an entire gut and reconfiguration.”

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As a cook and frequent entertainer, the client needed a layout built for prep and dining but that also integrated with the design of the adjacent living area. With the color palette already in place,  “it was a matter of creating a kitchen layout to complement her lifestyle,” added Patton.

However it was the existing tile, which had been discontinued, that created the most substantial issue. “Our parameters were tight to the existing island layout,” explained Patton. “The new island needed to be rotated to face the main wall with the cooktop, so we designed an L-shaped island with cabinetry and built a long lowered table in the old dining nook space.” Since the island could not exactly cover the previous footprint, tile was rearranged in the affected area, and a decorative border disguises the incongruity.

“The combination of island workspace and built-in table eliminated a walkway between the two to give us more usable space in the kitchen,” added Patton. Previously, the sink sat in the island a full seven feet from the cooking area, but the redesign had to keep its general location because of the tile floor. By redirecting the plumbing within the cabinetry, the sink was flipped across from the cooktop with a 48-in. walkway in between. A pony wall supports the nearby table and houses the plumbing. “We utilized the full length of her kitchen to create an open plan,” said Patton.

Ten-ft. ceilings contributed to the kitchen’s openness but were too high for accessible cabinetry. Instead, open cubicles were installed to showcase art from the client’s travels.

“The cubby design had many layers,” explained Patton. “They bridge the gap between usable space and the ceiling and transition the color of the ceiling by using the same gray paint color. This creates an art gallery look.”

Inside the cubicles, LED lighting adds accent illumination. “We layered our lighting,” explained Patton. “Overall, [we used] task, accent and art lighting so you can create mood lighting for different scenarios.”

For proper reading light at the integrated table, three drum pendants on dimmers now illuminate both the table in the island. LED recessed cans and task lighting for the undercabinets add to the change.

To integrate the cabinetry with the living area’s traditional oak balusters, gold drapery and taupe walls, warm woods in a grazed alder frame the perimeter. Barn wood melamine cabinets complement quartz countertops and a porcelain tile backsplash. “The large scale of the tile blended well with the height of the ceilings and the width of the open space behind the hood,” explained Patton. “Less grout joints too, which every client can appreciate.” The striated gray tiles are placed in a horizontal straight stack for a transitional appeal.

“Several equally interesting features of this kitchen create balance,” said Patton. “There is not one thing I would point out as a highlight because all of the elements of the kitchen work together to create one amazing space.”

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Puzzle Place

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